I am Troy Davis… That was what was chanted in the streets, as thousands of people protested the barbarous execution of death row inmate, Troy Davis, almost one year ago.
At the same time, the State of Georgia strapped down a human being and forced lethal poison into his veins until he died; in spite of widespread concerns that Troy Davis was in fact, innocent.
The Troy Davis case exemplifies all the worse flaws and fears in the criminal justice system — racism, lying witnesses, shoddy police work and ignoring evidence of innocence. Implications of racism surrounded the case from the start and no physical evidence links Davis to the crime; the conviction was based solely on eyewitness testimony. After the trial, all but two of the state's prosecution witnesses recanted and admitted they were pressured by police to claim falsely that Davis was the killer. One of those remaining witnesses was a man who may have been the actual killer.
After all the witness recants, one of the original trial jurors told the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole, "I feel, emphatically, that Mr. Davis cannot be executed under these circumstances." But her plea, and those of the almost one million protesters around the world, fell on deaf ears.
We cannot bring Troy back, but we can remember him and we can continue the fight in his name. And you have that opportunity. Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of Troy Davis’ barbarous execution and we want to you to join us for a special “Tweet Chat.” This special chat will begin at 11:00am and last one hour, it is in an opportunity for all of us to remember and reflect on the Troy Davis case and recommit ourselves to seeing the end of this barbaric system.
Follow the Montana Abolition Coalition on Twitter. Participate in tomorrow’s Troy Davis tweet chat by using the hashtag #IAmTroyDavis
The evidence of Troy Davis’ innocence was compelling. And if the State can execute a man in spite of that; there is a real fear that it will happen again and again – to you, to me, to anyone. Until we win, we are all Troy Davis.
Photo Courtesy of the Georgia Department of Corrections
